Indigenous Peoples' Global Research and Education Network (IPGREN)

Rationale and Background

Indigenous peoples are increasingly becoming weary and wary of researches that only treat them as targets of research and education efforts. In the area of research indigenous peoples have always been the sources of information. Much of these information, when processed and interpreted by the researchers, become unintelligible if not totally irrelevant to the indigenous peoples' everyday lives. Indigenous Peoples want to speak out now. They want to conduct research that can help them articulate their issues and perspectives. They want to (re)claim an arena where they have been historically marginalized. At the same time, they want to be trained on the rudiments of "scientific inquiry," if only to better understand their changing social, cultural and environmental millieu and become more effective in putting forward their issues and concerns.

This project hopes to answer this need of enhancing the capacity of indigenous activists in the field of research, education and development. The Indigenous Peoples' Global Research and Education Network (IPGREN) will blaze the trail in the arena of indigenous research, education and development. It will be actively initiate and participate in frame-setting, developing research and education modules, documenting best practices, conducting policy analysis and recommendations and enhancing the capacities of indigenous peoples.

Concept

The Indigenous Peoples' Global Research and Education Network (IPGREN) will be the machinery that will carry out the indigenous peoples research and education agenda. The IPGREN is envisioned to be a network of individuals, organizations and institutions (NGOs, academic research institutes, etc.) who are committed to a Participatory Action Research (PAR), on issues and concerns affecting indigenous peoples. The network will be organized and managed by an international coordinating committee with the assistance of Tebtebba as the secretariat.

Membership

Members of the IPGREN may undertake their own research projects. Members maintain their own dynamism and identity even as they commit to the network. At the same time, members will also be asked to implement a common research agenda.

In principle, all the indigenous peoples' organizations and individuals present at the December 2000 conference in Manila have signified interest to become members of this network. However, other organizations and individuals may join. A membership form will be farmed out during the first phase of the program implementation, to formalize their membership.

The duties and responsibilities of each member include the following:

1. To carry out researches collectively identified and agreed upon by the network;

2. To share knowledge, skills/expertise and resources (whenever possible) with the other members of the network;

3. To attend regional (i.e., continental) and international workshops, institutes and conferences organized by the IGNRE and its affiliate organizations;

4. To submit periodic report to the IPGREN secretariat on the progress of project implementation.

 Focal Points

There will be regional focal points (individuals and/or institutions) for Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Pacific Regions. Each focal point will be responsible in:

1. Coordinating activities at the regional level;

2. Coordinating with and reporting to the secretariat on the progress of project implementation in his/her region;

3. Initiating activities that may involve the regional members of the network;

4. Attending the IPGREN coordinating committee (see discussion below)

IPGREN Coordinating Committee

The IPGREN Coordinating Committee is composed of the regional focal points (4), and the IPGREN Coordinator (1). The main function of this committee is to manage the overall implementation of projects of the IPGREN. More specifically, its tasks include the following:

1. Plan annual and quarterly activities of the network;

2. Monitor and evaluate the progress of the project implementation;

3. Write reports and project proposals on behalf of the network.

4. Organize international conferences and workshops so as to bring regular and prospective members, as well as observers together to share research results, among others.

The IPGREN Coordinator

The IPGREN Coordinator is the overseer of the projects and activities of the network. He/She is also the head of the IGNRE secretariat. As such, his/her other functions are as follows:

1. Convene and preside the meetings of the IPGREN Coordinating Committee and the secretariat;

2. When needed, coordinate meetings with country representatives and focal persons to define the research and education agenda and draft the work plan;

3. Draft the guidelines on the implementation of the research and education agenda;

4. Organize the annual research and development training institute;

5. Organize a team of experts (from the pool of experts within the network) that shall monitor and evaluate the implementation of the research;

6. Write the reports

7. Oversee the establishment and sustenance of the indigenous portal/website

The Secretariat

Tebtebba Foundation serves as the secretariat of the IPGREN. The main task of this group is to provide substantive and technical support to the coordinator in the implementation of his/her tasks as head of the secretariat. The secretariat shall be composed of a finance officer, an education and information officer, and a research coordinator.

Coordination

Coordination between and among the organizations/individuals will be done primarily through the Internet. Other mechanisms for coordination will be through face-to-face modalities like meetings and workshops at the regional as well as international level. The international coordinating committee and the secretariat will also conduct country-visits to monitor and evaluate the conduct of IPGREN projects.

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